Belgium authorities officially charged Salah Abdeslam with “participation in a terrorist murder” on Saturday in connection with last November’s Paris attacks.
French President Francois Hollande said on Friday he expects Abdeslam will be sent to Paris to stand trial, while the Belgian federal prosecutor said the suspect would be transferred "sooner or later."
However, the suspect’s lawyer told reporters on Saturday his client would resist attempts by the French government to have him extradited.
"Saleh Abdeslam is cooperating with the Belgian police, but he will refuse his client's extradition to France," Sven Mary said.
Belgian police captured Abdeslam on Friday in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek. He was shot in the leg during the police operation, but was discharged from hospital on Saturday morning and taken into police custody.
The 26-year-old is suspected of helping with the logistics of the November attacks, including making the explosives and organising transportation for the killers. Some 130 people lost their lives in the operation, which targeted cafes, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris.
“Saleh Abdeslam is cooperating with the Belgian police, but he will refuse his client's extradition to France.”
- Sven Mary
Abdeslam had been on the run for more than 120 days. On Tuesday, Belgian Police raided a terrorist safe house in Brussels and were fired upon, leaving several officers injured. One assailant was shot dead and two more fled across the rooftops.
Officers intensified their hunt after finding fingerprints belonging to Abdeslam at the house. The suspect was finally tracked down on Friday, where he was taken into custody along with suspected accomplice Amine Choukri.
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